Arron Afflalo will play in Team USA scrimmage Thursday night

Do you miss basketball? Since you're reading this blog, consider that question rhetorical.

Well good news, everybody: there will be basketball Thursday evening at 10:30 EST. Basketball between NBA players, even! USA Basketball (the best basketball in the damn world, HOO-RAH!) will hold a scrimmage on ESPN2. Some serious star power will be on hand, including Blake Griffin, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and Captain America himself, DeMarcus Cousins. Lest we forget, Boogie single-handedly defended America's geographical aptitude against hordes of European reporters last summer:

Overheard by @SekouSmithNBA... Reporter: "Do u know where Slovenia is?" @boogiecousins: "Do u know where Alabama is?" pic.twitter.com/ddR5lkGwHq

— Poor Man's Commish (@poormanscommish) September 8, 2014

*sheds a single tear* My country 'tiiiis of thee, sweet land of liiiiiberty...

Keeping it in the Knicks family, Carmelo Anthony hasn't been cleared for contact yet, so he'll be sitting out of course. The Knicks will be represented, however, by free agent acquisition Arron Afflalo:

Arron Afflalo, Amir Johnson, Terrence Jones, Elfrid Payton, & CJ Watson join the Showcase game tmrw #TeamUSA #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/EtAjIwH13A

— Poor Man's Commish (@poormanscommish) August 13, 2015

I'm not even being sarcastic here -- it's refreshing to see a Knick deemed worthy of inclusion in a Team USA scrimmage. Would any member of the 2014-15 club have even warranted consideration once Melo got hurt? Hells to the no.

So let's all celebrate Arron Afllalo and America this evening. Isn't that right, James Brown?